There is proposed a vehicle-pedal backward-displacement preventing device having: (a) a pedal bracket provided with a pair of side plates each including a front end at which the pedal bracket is fixedly attached to a dash panel; (b) an operating pedal disposed pivotably about an axis of a support shaft connecting the pair of side plates, and having in its lower end portion a depressible portion which is to be depressed whereby the operating pedal is operated; (c) a guide member disposed in relation to an upper end portion of the pedal bracket and a vehicle body member, and restraining the depressible portion of the operating pedal from being backwardly displaced toward a driver's seat, upon backward displacement of the pedal bracket together with the dash panel toward the driver's seat. The guide member causes the upper end portion of the pedal bracket to be downwardly displaced following a predetermined displacement path, as a result of displacement of the pedal bracket relative to the vehicle body member, whereby the pedal bracket is deformed to be bent with the pair of side plates being made to buckle, so as to restrain the backward displacement of the depressible portion of the operating pedal toward the driver's seat.
As an example of the above-described device, Patent Document 1 discloses a brake-pedal backward-displacement preventing device in which the pedal bracket is connected at its upper end portion with the guide member (slide plate) that is fixed to an instrument panel reinforcement member as the vehicle body member. In the event of displacement of the dash panel toward the driver's seat which displacement is caused, for example, with an impact of a large load to the dash panel in a direction from the vehicle front to the rear, the pedal bracket is disconnected from the guide member, and the upper end portion of the disconnected pedal bracket is guided by the guide member so as to be downwardly displaced. As a result of the downward displacement of the upper end portion of the pedal bracket, the pedal bracket is made to buckle. In this instance, the pedal bracket is deformed to be bent at its portion in which an aperture is formed for reducing a rigidity of the pedal bracket, whereby the brake pedal as the operating pedal is pivoted about a fulcrum provided by its connected portion at which the brake pedal is connected to an operating rod. The brake pedal is thus pivoted about its connected portion as the fulcrum such that its depressible portion is relatively displaced toward the front of the vehicle. Patent Document 2 also discloses a pedal backward-displacement preventing device having substantially the same construction as the device disclosed in the Patent Document 1.
[Patent Document 1] JP-A-H10-175492
[Patent Document 2] JP-A-H9-254821